Drek'Thar
Drek'Thar is a level ?? (Boss) elite located at Frostwolf Keep in Alterac Valley. He can also occasionally be found at the Mag'har stronghold of Garadar in Nagrand. The elder shaman of the Frostwolf clan, Drek'thar served as Thrall's tutor many years ago. Blind since birth, Drek'Thar had to prove his worth during the Horde's dark period. He found the spirits of the elements to be close companions, so shamanism became his path to might. Despite his power over the elements, Drek'Thar always maintained his meekness and wisdom. He continues to shepherd the younger shaman of the Horde in the old traditions of his people. Currently Drek'Thar is the chieftain of the Frostwolf Clan, and the General of the Frostwolf armies in Alterac Valley. Biography Early history Little is known of Drek'Thar's early life, beyond the fact that some stories claim he was blind from birth, and others that he was an apprentice shaman to the Frostwolf far seer, Mother Kashur, for many years on Draenor. When Kashur was killed in a hunting accident, Drek'Thar became the senior Frostwolf shaman. Unlike his chieftain, Durotan, Drek'Thar seemed willing to accept Ner'zhul's announcement (influenced by Kil'jaeden the Deceiver, the right hand of the Fallen Titan, Sargeras) that the draenei were plotting against them. When the elements abandoned the orcs following the beginnings of their genocidal campaign, Drek'Thar and the other shamans of the orcish race followed the evil Gul'dan and his apprentices from the Blackrock Clan into the path of the warlock. With the Horde's opinion turning against Durotan and the Frostwolves for his public defiance of Warchief Blackhand and his refusal to partake of the Blood of Mannoroth - or allow any of his clan to do so - the Frostwolves were eventually exiled into the Alterac Mountains. It was sometime during this exile that Drek'Thar renounced the way of the warlock and rediscovered the path of the shaman. With the aid of the elements and a little patience, Drek'Thar managed to convince the white wolves of Alterac to come to their aid. Following the birth of their son, who would later be known as Thrall, Durotan and Draka travelled to the encampment to speak with Durotan's old comrade Orgrim Doomhammer, now Warchief and chieftain of the Blackrock Clan after assassinating Blackhand, where they convinced him of Gul'dan's treachery. Durotan and Draka were betrayed by the warrior Orgrim assigned to lead them to safety, and Thrall was believed to have died with them. With Durotan and his heir gone, Drek'Thar assumed the chieftaincy of the Frostwolves. Training the future Warchief Twenty years later, the now-blind but powerful Farseer discovered Thrall had been found alive while attempting to search for his clan. Giving the torn swaddling cloth he had kept since he was found to Drek'Thar, the Farseer revealed that Thrall was the heir of Durotan - and the Spirit of Fire revealed to him at that first meeting that Thrall had potential as a shaman. After testing Thrall's humility as well as his pride - both qualities necessary for those who take the path of the shaman, he told the younger orc - Drek'Thar took the son of Durotan under his wing and began to train him in the ways of the spirits. Shortly before he began Thrall's initiation, Drek'Thar sent his white wolf companion, Wise-ear, to locate the nomadic Warchief Orgrim Doomhammer and lead him to the Frostwolf camp. Doomhammer arrived as a cloaked stranger who spoke contemptuously of any attempts to free the orcs in captivity or fighting the humans. Enraged, Thrall challenged him to combat and defeated him; it was then that Doomhammer revealed his identity, and Drek'Thar revealed that he had set this confrontation up in order to convince Doomhammer to take Thrall under his wing when the Frostwolves united with the Warsong Clan to liberate the encampments. During the battle for the fifth encampment - now the outpost of Hammerfall - both Doomhammer and Drek'Thar's old companion, Wise-ear, fell in battle. Drek'Thar convinced Thrall to put on Doomhammer's black plate armor to show that the Horde had a new Warchief. His advice proved to be sound, and the new Horde rallied behind their new leader. After the fall of Durnholde Keep, Drek'Thar travelled across the sea with Thrall to the rediscovered lands of Kalimdor, and resided for a time in the new orcish capital of Orgrimmar. After the Third War Drek'Thar helped Thrall found the kingdom of Durotar and its capital of Orgrimmar, and conducted many magical experiments in the surrounding landscape. Drek'Thar was trying to create a potion which required shimmerweed, a rare herb found only in Thunder Ridge (named so for the thunder lizards which lived there). The Thunder Lizards had become increasingly hostile of late, so when Rexxar arrived in Orgrimmar, Drek'Thar instructed him to retrieve six bushels of shimmerweed. Rexxar did so and Drek'Thar rewarded him. However, Drek'Thar was puzzled by the increasing hostility of the thunder lizards, and assumed that perhaps there was an outside force behind it. Drek'Thar went to investigate himself, and found that the behavior Rexxar had reported was true. At Thrall's request, Rexxar joined Drek'Thar in Thunder Ridge and collected several Thunder Lizard eggs to study. Upon further investigation, they found that humans had begun to harvest lumber throughout the region, and the upset ecology was driving the thunder lizards mad. Rexxar wanted to level the lumber mill, but Drek'Thar stopped him, saying that it would breach the non-aggression pact signed by Thrall. Instead, they had to kill the raging beasts despite Rexxar's reservations. Return to Alterac Valley Shortly after Rexxar departed to wander the wilds of Kalimdor, Drek'Thar returned to the Frostwolf lands in Alterac Valley, where he continues to lead the Frostwolf Clan from the fortress of Frostwolf Keep. He leads the Horde and Frostwolves in the defense of Alterac Valley against the Stormpike Guard, who encroach on the northern edge of of the valley. The Stormpike Guard is a expedition of dwarven excavators from the Stormpike clan, a clan that has lived in the "valleys of Alterac" for years, who also "defend fiercely against the trolls and orcs" who they believe have "invaded the area". The guard were sent in to retake ancestral land, look for relics of their past, and mine for resources. http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/pvp/battlegrounds/info-alteracvalley.html Both sides view they have historical claims to the mountains. To this day, he carries the guilt of his actions during the early days of the Horde, and has never forgiven himself. Drek'thar serves as Thrall's primary representative in the Eastern Kingdoms (which is good because Thrall has someone he can trust in charge); it is however inefficient, because Drek'Thar's home in the Alterac Mountains is not readily accessible to the main body of the Horde. Journey to Nagrand Since the sealing of the Dark Portal, one group of orcs retained their original brown skin and maintained the traditional shamanism of the orcish race. They are called the Mag'har, and are led by Greatmother Geyah, grandmother of Thrall. Upon hearing that there is a clan of uncorrupted orcs in Outland, Thrall immediately sets out to the Dark Portal and travels to the plains of Nagrand. Drek'Thar accompanies Thrall and an honor guard of Kor'kron from Orgrimmar to the Mag'har settlement of Garadar in Nagrand. This is probably Drek'Thar's first visit to Draenor (now Outland) since the Frostwolves crossed into Azeroth. General, Alterac Valley Abilities Drek'Thar in Alterac Valley is a formidable opponent who can easily tear apart an unprepared Alliance force, especially with dedicated Horde defenders. He has two guard wolves, Drakan and Duros that respawn every time you pull Drek'Thar outside of his bunker, if they are not alive when he returns. Unlike other shamans (before patch 2.0), he also dual-wields. Prior to the release of World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, he was consistently ranked as the most dangerous creature in terms of players killed http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/toplist/index.html?en,killedby. * Sweeping Strikes * Cleave * Whirlwind * AoE knockdown * Windfury weapon (A fairly big chance of getting 2 extra attacks upon a hit.) * Stormstrike Strategy Contrary to popular myth, his guard dogs do not respawn when looted. They respawn when Drek is reset. The best way is to just rush in and tank him while a few of the attackers kill his dogs. That way you only deal with the dogs once. Drek'Thar is relatively easy to tank by a single player, as he does not have any abilities that drop aggro. It is merely necessary to assure constant healing. Quotes Lord of the Clans *''"They are watching. They must not lose heart. You must put on the armor at once, and show them they have a new chieftain."'' -to Thrall, shortly after the death of Orgrim Doomhammer. *(Follwing the death of Blackmoore)Thrall: "Before i killed him, he... he said that he was proud of me. That i was what he had made me. Drek'Thar, the thought appalls me." Drek'Thar: "Of course you are what Blackmoore made you. And what Taretha made you. And Sergeant, and Hellscream, and Doomhammer, and I, and even Snowsong. You are what each battle made you, and you are what you made yourself... The Lord of the Clans." Alterac Valley When aggroing: *''Stormpike filth! In my keep?! Slay them all!'' When returning to his place after an attempt to pull him out of his fortress: *''You seek to draw the General of the Frostwolf legion out of his fortress? PREPOSTEROUS!'' After returning to his place: *''Stormpike weaklings, face me in my fortress - if you dare!'' When fighting: *''Your blows are slowed by the cold, I think!'' *''Today you will meet your ancestors!'' *''If you will not leave on your own, the Frostwolves will force you out!'' *''You cannot defeat the Frostwolf clan!'' *''You are no match for the might of the Horde!'' Warcraft Adventures *''Three great wars between the human Alliance and the orcish invaders have laid waste to the once proud realms of Azeroth. Twenty-two years have past since Blackmoore found the young orcling, secretly raising the orcling within the confines of his prison fortress Durnholde. Blackmoore planned to mold the orcling into the perfect warrior. A warrior conditioned to human thinking, but with all the savagery of an orcish heart.'' See also *''Lord of the Clans'' and Rise of the Horde by Christie Golden External links *Top List Category:Orcs Category:Lore Characters Category:Named Mobs Category:Frostwolf Clan Category:Battleground:Alterac Valley Category:Warcraft Adventures